About to order my first Model 3! Which one though?

[FourAM]

Hi Gang. First post (although I've been lurking and researching for a while...so thanks for all the help so far!)

About to order a new UK Model 3 via my work salary sacrifice scheme and I'm on the fence about whether to go for the SR+ LFP or the LR. Would really welcome your thoughts. Some data might help:

• I live in the North UK so can be pretty cold/wet c. 4-6 months of the year.
• I do around 18,000 - 20,000 miles per annum including trips for business which can be 200 ~ 300 miles of mostly motorway.
• Commute is about 25 each way of mixed roads although I work from home 2-3 days a week.
• I have 7kw free charging points at work and will be getting a 7kw charge point at home too.

I'm leaning towards the SR+ as it will be £120 per month cheaper and I'm fairly sure that with the charging options I have available I won't really need the LR. I do quite fancy the AWD though for when the weather is poor.

Also, other than the battery/range/AWD/power are the cars identical specification? Looks that way but I can't tell for sure from what I've read.

Thanks all. X

 

[Amped412]

I have a 2021 SR+. I live in a cold climate and my daily commute is 20 miles each way. I take a handful of road trips a year. I do not regret my decision. I believe the SR+ is the best value and I don’t think you’d regret saving the money

 

[PaulSu]

The easy answer is which one can you afford? I live in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. We we get very cold snowy winters. While I recently sold my 2019 SR+ for a 2022 LR. For me the SR+ was good in the winter with dedicated snow tires. The LR puts that into beast mode. The AWD is exceptional in the winter, and the added range 438KM vs. 576KM on 18’’ Aero Wheels, for me, was an extra piece of mind in the winter with range loss.

There are other benefits to the LR, like the upgraded sound system, and other features my 2019 SR+ didn't have. The added acceleration and charging speed 32A vs. 48A is a nice bonus as well. There is also a slight bump to the over all 160,000 km vs. 192,000 km.

I hope that helps a bit

 

[Knightshade]

Generally speaking tires > drivetrain in bad weather.... a RWD car with dedicated snow tires will be safer in winter than AWD on generic all seasons.

Apart from range and performance and AWD the LR gets you a better stereo, includes the rear heated seats (I think these are available via paid unlock on the RWD), slightly better charge speeds (though at 7kw you likely won't notice or care), and I wanna say there's some lighting differences (like maybe LR gets fog and ambient interior lights the SR does not). All pretty minor stuff outside of maybe the stereo.

Assuming there's superchargers reasonably located for accommodating your 200-300 mile road trips you should be fine with a RWD one

 

[father_of_6]

My area has cold, snowy winters and my daily commute is 60 miles. Real world range in cold climates can be as little as HALF of the EPA rated range... and that's if you want to charge to 100% and run it dry.

If you can afford the LR, you will not regret getting it. But you *might* regret not getting it.

My opinion is... the car is expensive to begin with (overpriced even), but the value of the upgrade to LR *is* worth it's price tag.

 

[dc121gw]

Your commute will be fine in either car. Your 200-300 mile work trips will be simpler with the LR, although plenty of people do trips like this with SR+.

The main consideration is whether slightly less aggravation on trips, and slightly better acceleration, is worth $6000 USD. The answer is going to be different for everybody.

 

[tm1v2]

The only thing to regret about the LR AWD is money. If you think there's a real risk you'll miss that money...don't do it then, you don't need the LR.

If you're just wanting to save money for the sake of saving money, nothing wrong with that...but you could find yourself wishing you had bought the LR, if it would save you charging stops, or if you're not happy with the LFP RWD acceleration or sound system. You have to know your own preferences in cars of course!

I'm guessing the LR AWD might save you charging stops on many of those 200-300 mile trips. To me that would be worth it unless money is tight, in which case just get the LFP RWD and don't sweat it.

 

[kpinthebay]

Yeah, if money ain't too tight, get the LR. You get the bonus range + AWD that's invaluable in bad weather. Can't put a price tag on that one.
Not to mention the awesome sound system on the LR that can help get you through UK traffic.

**whispers..... get the performance hehe

 

[tm1v2]

I'll mention that if we were talking NCA SR+ RWD vs LR AWD, I bet the lower weight of the SR+ was noticeable, and someone prioritizing handling dynamics over acceleration could reasonably prefer the SR+, or at least consider that a real advantage.

Unfortunately the LFP battery is a porker so the new LFP RWD weighs almost as much as the LR AWD, and the acceleration gap is even wider because the LFP is slower than the NCA SR+ was. The LFP battery makes a LOT of sense from a practical perspective - charge to 100% all the time, and less/slower degradation - but if you're into the driving experience then it is a step backwards. Just depends on your priorities!

 

[FourAM]

Thanks a lot. Some interesting counter arguments. I didn’t really know the premium/partial premium interior differences and I think that’s swung it. Gonna have to be the LR. A poor stereo would drive me mental and if it didn’t have the heated steering wheel my wife would complain endlessly! The weight of the LFP battery really makes a difference too.

Thanks again.

 

[Jejunjm]

Thanks a lot. Some interesting counter arguments. I didn’t really know the premium/partial premium interior differences and I think that’s swung it. Gonna have to be the LR. A poor stereo would drive me mental and if it didn’t have the heated steering wheel my wife would complain endlessly! The weight of the LFP battery really makes a difference too.

Thanks again.

I think you need an LR. That being said an lfp would have been fine for me, in Arizona (I have a 21 lr, and rarely need the range). Poor stereo can be fixed by aftermarket, and it turns out I don't need the speed. I should have probably put the difference on $ towards a replacement Miata.

 

[OCR1]

You will be fine with either SR+ or LR AWD. But if it were me I would go with the LR. Cold weather is not ideal for EVs. And batteries degrade over time, so the range you start with is not the range you will have after a few years of driving. I don’t like having range anxiety.

The price difference is $6,000. But when you eventually resell the car, you will likely get at least $3K more for the LR version. So is the extra range worth it for the peace of mind you get? That’s the decision you need to make for yourself.